Animal homelessness: The problems and efforts being made
Ms. Breza, seventh-grade science teacher, sharing her thoughts on animal homelessness through Blackboard Collaborate.
RCMS teachers and students talk about animal homelessness, organizations that are trying to fight it and what students can do to help.
“Every animal deserves a place to call home,” said Aditi Saravanan, a seventh-grade RCMS student.
Animal homelessness has been a problem for years. Pets found in adoption centers are strays, or left out from their owners. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), is a working organization, who are trying to help animals, and prevent animal cruelty. Based on ASPCA pet statistics, approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. shelters yearly.
Animal shelters and adoption centers, try and help these animals find a new home. Although they work hard, Aditi Saravanan, a seventh-grader at RCMS, pointed out that they kill their animals due to space issues.
“I don’t like how they kill old animals to make room for the new ones,” she said.
Nearly 2.7 million dogs and cats get killed every year at shelters, because shelters don’t have the space and cannot find enough adoptive homes for them.
Students and teachers can do their parts to help these shelters. Many shelters suffer, due to lack of resources and funding.
“I would ask people to find out what resources they need and donate what they can,” said seventh-grade science teacher Ms. Lauren Breza. “I would go and see, what do they need, like do they need paper towels or blankets.”
People can help small animal shelters, by becoming a publicist, which can help these places find animals new homes.
“It’s good for us, and it’s good for the animals,” she said.
Although there are many small and unknown organizations that students may not be able to help in, there are many other organizations that have put animal lives before them as their mission, to help give the animals what they need. The PetSmart charity, is a nonprofit organization that helps animals find new homes. They have helped find 500,000 shelter pets homes, and also use the help of yearly PetSmart shoppers.
Mr. William Darr, seventh-grade history teacher, appreciates the works of these organizations.
He feels connected to these organizations, and he feels that their missions to give these animals a home is a great life’s work.
“I really admire it,” he said.
Ananya Patel is a seventh-grader at RCMS. In her free-time, Ananya likes to bake, color, and read good books. Ananya also loves to try new things for fun.
